Convertible canoe and kayak



Sept. 12, 1961- A. s. LEWIS CONVERTIBLE CANOE AND KAYAK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1958 INVENTOR ARNOLD S. LEWIS ATTO/WVEY Sept. 12, 1961 A. s. LEWIS CONVERTIBLE CANOE AND KAYAK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, 1958 A. W m .A

v 78 5: 72-' ARNOLD s. LEWIS w A TTOR/VEY Sept. 12, 1961 A. s. LEWIS 2,999,253

CONVERTIBLE CANOE AND KAYAK Filed Aug. 25, 1958 s SheetsSheet s INVENTOR. ARNOLD S. LEWIS ATTORNEY 2,999,253 CONVERTIBLE CANOE ANDKAYAK Arnold S. Lewis, 20!] Riverside Drive, New York, N.Y.

Filed Aug. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 756,808 1 1 Claim. or. 9-2

--This,invention relates generally to watercraft. More particularly, the invention has reference to a boat which is of the collapsible type, the invention being designed to permit conversion of said boat into a kayak or similar craft.

A kayak is a light boat, as is well known, having an enclosed deck formed with an opening in which the rower is snugly fitted, with only the upper portion of the rowers body projecting through said opening. The lower portion of the body is disposed below the deck, within a cockpit defined between the deck. and the bottom of the boat.

Such a boat is very seaworthy, in that water cannot splash into the same. In effect, when the rower is seated in the boat, the craft almost becomes a closed, hollow shell, since the only opening in the deck is substantially completely enclosed by the body of the rower. Collapsible or inflatable boats have become increasingly,

popular and are made in many shapes and sizes. For

example, inflatable canoes are provided, having pointed ends. Then again, there are inflatable row boats, and inflatable skiffs of the scow type, having squarely out (ii-blunt ends. The last-named boats are often used in duck hunting and in similar situations in which the water may be quite shmlow and perhaps choked with weeds.

The main objectof the present invention is to permit conversion of any of the collapsible, inflatable light boatsv described above, or any other types of generally related.v

watercraft, from the ordinary use of the boat, into an enclcsed boat of the kayak type. The word kayak as employed in this application, is used in the broadsense.

In other Words, the word is intended to refer to any type of small craft in which there is a top deck extending be: tween the tops of the sides of the craft, said deck substantially completely closing the craft against the admission of water. 7

Another object is to permit the conversion to be effected by means of cover panels which themselves are flexible or collapsible. In this way, the scaworthiness of the vessel is increased measurably, since not only is the craft itself,

that is, the hull, inflatable, but also, the decking or cover panels are also inflatable. This adds to the buoyancy of the watercraft. 7

Another object is to facilitate the attachment or detachmentof the cover panels through the provision of cooperating fastening elements on the inflatable hull and cover panels, which elements are readily connectable or separable without the use of tools.

Another object is to provide, in at least one formof the invention, a means for converting a watercraft of the type described into a kayak, which means will ordinarily be usable as the bottom cushions of the watercraft, when not in useas the cover panels or decking.

Another object is to provide a convertible boatconstrnotion as stated which, when not in use as a kayak,

will beavailable for regular use in the ordinary manner as a canoe, scow, or row boat, according to the type of 5 of course, be equipped with an inflating valve, etc., not

Patented Sept. 12, 1961' 'ice to the appended claims in which the various novel feitures of the invention are .more particularly set forth.

In theaccompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat of the inflatable type, as it appears before conversion into a kayak, the.

illustrated boat being a canoe.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inflatable canoe shown in FIG. I, converted into a kayak.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, top plan view of the inflatable canoe converted into a kayak.

FIG. 4 is a still further enlarged, fragmentary perspective view of the intermediate portion of the inflatable.

canoe converted into a kayak.

FIG. 5 is a still further enlarged, exploded, fragmentary perspective view of the fastening elements on the hull and cover panel, respectively.

'FIG. 6 is a detail sectional view, the scale being enlarged above that 6 6 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is fragmentary detail top plan viewshowingthegmeans for fastening the cushions to the hull.

1 1618 is a top plan view of, the front cushion. FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the intermediate cushion. FIG, 10 is a top plan yiew of the rear cushion. :FIGLI l is a top plan View of a boat of the scow type,

converted into a covered, kayak type of craft, a portion:

"FIG, 14 is an enlarged, fragmentary top plan View illustratingof the converted canoe shown in FIG. 13, the modified cover panel.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in FIGS.

there is shown a conventional, inflatable canoe generally designated 10. The basic construction of the canoe is completely conventional, and therefore, the detailed construction of the canoeproper need not be dwelled .upon at length. It is believed suflicient to note that the inflatable canoe comprises a hull entirely of any suitable waterproof, flexible material,such as a waterproof canvas, rubber, etc. The hull would,

shown. The hull has the usual pointed ends 14 and side walls 16.

Further, as is completely conventional, there is provided a seat 18, intermediate the ends, which may be :slightly curved and can comprise a. molded piece of plywood or the like. Thefseat back 1.8 is connected by fleXible straps 20 to the respective sides 16. A back seat 22 is formed similarly to the seat 18, but may be slightly smaller vdueto its being located in a narrow portion of the craft. .Seat 22 is connected the respective side walls 16.

It is common practice to provide floor or bottom cush--.

' ions in a canoe of the type shown. These are also inflatable and thus arecompletely flexible and collapsible when.

' not in use. There is provided a front cushion generally The bottom cushions are now only disposed directly in' the bottom of the boat as-shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, when the craft is in use asa conventional canoe as in FIG.

1, the rowers are seated directly in the bottom, of the boat and-are supported at least in part upon the cushions 26, 28.

The cushions are thus disposed under the legs and the of FIG. 4, taken substantially on line.

12, which may be formedby-flexible straps 2.4 to

It is thus seen that the craft shown in FIG. 1 can be used as a conventional canoe.

If, however, it is desired to convert the canoe into a double kayak, that is, a two-seated kayak, the cushions 26, 28, 31) are lifted up off of the bottom or floor and are connected along their'opposite side edges to the topsurfaces of the side walls 16 in the manner shown in FIGS.

2-6. In this connection, the rear end of the front cushion 26 is formed with an inflated fabric extension 31 extending over the horizontal portion of seat 18, the end edge of the extension being curved as indicated at 33 to provide clearance for the body of the rower on the seat. Fabric tapes 35 are secured along the long edges of the cushion 26 in any suitable manner and supported along the free outer edges of the tapes are interlocking fastening elements or teeth 37 adapted to mesh with fastening elements or teeth.

39 on similar fabric tapes 41 secured along the top of the ,sides 16 of the hull 12. The tapes 41 extend substantially the length of the sides 16. The fastening elements or teeth 39, 41 extend to a point closely spaced from the end of the extension 31 and from the front end of the cushion 26. In addition to the zipper closure, the front cushion 26 has laterally outwardly projecting transversely aligned, flexible integral tabs or ears 32- (FIG. 5) and clamped to or otherwise affixed to the ears, in the plane of the body of the ears are plates 34 having slots 36. The plates are of metal. Similar lateral tabsare formed on the end of the extension 31.

The intermediate cushion 28 is constructed similarly to cushion 26 but is shorter. The cushion 28 accordingly is providedwith the side tapes 35, interlocking teeth 37, an

extension 31 and tabs 32 and a slider 43 at each side. Cushion 28, however, is formed with an extension 45 on the rear end thereof similar to extension 31 on its front end. i

The rear cushion 30 is also constructed similarly to cushion 26 but is shorter than the cushions 26 and 28. Cushion 30 is accordingly provided with an extension 31 on its front end and with tapes 35 and interlocking teeth 37 along its sides together with tabs 32 along its sides,

and a slider 43 at each side.

The cushions 26, 28 and 30 are held in raised position to form a deck by the zipper closure members and can easily be detached from the top edge of the hull and lowered by moving the sliders 43.

In addition to the sliding closure, the cushions may also be secured to the top of the sides of the hull by means of the tabs 32. For this purpose, fixedly secured to the top surface of each side wall 16 arecircular grommets or support plates 38 of metal material. Posts 40 project upwardly from said support plates, and swivelly mounted upon the upper ends of the posts are latch plates 42, dieposed on vertical planes.

A slider element 43 on each side of the cushion 26 moves the teeth 37, 39 into and out ofclosing engagement.

When the floor cushions are positioned as in FIGS. 2 and 4, the several cars 32 are disposed in overlying, registered relation to the several swivel latch plates 42. With the latch plates adjusted to the FIG. 5 position thereof, the cars can be lowered to extend the latch plates 42 through the slots 36. Thereafter, the latch plates are turned ninety duced to a minimum. The only apertures in the decking are those in front of the seats for receiving the bodies of therowers, and these are closed to a considerable degree by the'extensions 31 45 encircling the body of the rower.

By reason of the above, it will be seen that the inflatable canoe has collapsible cushions which at times are usable as the bottom cushions of the boat, and at other times are; detachably connectable to the top surfaces'of the side walls, in a manner to constitute removable, buoyant decking or cover panels converting the canoe into a kayak type vessel. 1

Referring now to FIG. 11, there is here shown a modified construction illustrating the application of the invention to a skiff generally designated 46. The skiif is of the scow type, having blunt or square ends 48. The skilf is inflatable similar to the canoe 10, and thus has inflatable side walls 50. The skiff, of course, would be of the same,

degrees to the positions shown in FIGS. 4 and 6. The

" seated on the seats 18, 22 are extended under the cushion immediately in front of the seat.

It is seen that this provides a kayak type of boat, with the possibility of water splashing into the boat being re- 82 intermediate the opposite ends of the vessel.

flexible, collapsible, waterproof material as the canoe 10.

In this form, the cushions 52, 54, 56 again may be disposed in the bottom of the skiii as bottom cushions. The seats have been designated 58, 60. The cushions are so formed as to follow the general contour of the craft at the location where the cushions are disposed. Thus, the invention shown in FIG. l1 is similar in respect to the basic concept thereof to the invention shown in FIG. 3.

In this form of the invention, the skifi is converted into a kayak type craft. The cushions are constructed similarly to the cushions 26, 28and 30, with zipper closure and tab closures and similar numerals are used to indicate similar parts. It is not necessary, of course, that the tabs 32 be located exactly where shown in FIG. 11, and the number and location of the tabs would be at the option this invention differs from the first form in that instead of inflatable cover panels, there are provided fabric, noninflatable panels 66, 68. The panels 66, 68 can be waterproof or of water-repellent canvas, rubberized fabric, etc. In any event, the cover panels 66 in this form of the invention are designed to enclose the body of the wearer much more snugly than is true of the panels of the first and second forms of the invention. It may be noted, in this regard, that the panels 66, 68 are secured to the top of the sides 16 by zipper closures similar to the cushions 26, 28, 30 and also by ears 70 similar to ears 32 slotted in the same manner as shown in FIG. 5, to receive latch plates 72 swiveled and constructed like the plates 42.

The panels 66, 68 have confronting, closely spaced inner end edges 74, 76, respectively. Formed in said edges, medially between the opposite sides of the panels, are confronting, approximately semicircular recesses 78, 80. These cooperate to define a substantially circular opening The rower is snugly received in said opening 82, as will be clearly seen in FIG. 13.

In this form of the invention, thereis almost completely eflicient closure of the hull, designed to facilitate maximum use thereof as a kayak.

Of course, the panels 66, 68 might be of the inflatable type and still have the exact configuration as shown in shown in FIGS. 3 and 11. This is thought sufiiciently obvious as not to require special illustration herein.

In all forms of the invention there is the common characteristic wherein a collapsible, inflatable watercraft of any type can be readily converted into a kayak-type boat, through the provision of flexible panels that are swiftly,

5 detachably connectable to the top surfaces of the hull of the craft. A wide range of uses of the watercraft thus becomes possible, whereas heretofore, said craft has only been usable for their main, designed initial purpose.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1s:

A collapsible watercraft comprising a hull having an open top and inflatable side walls with slide fastener members disposed at the top of the side walls, a plurality of panels having edges terminating in end flaps forming concave 'arcuate end portions, slide fastener members secured along the panel edges terminating short of the flaps and cooperating with said fastener members at the side walls 20 for connecting the panels to the side walls of the hull to form a deck and for connecting the panels in spaced endto-end relationship to define openings in the deck for occupants of the craft, and latch means for connecting the flaps to the side walls and adapted to release such flaps to expand said openings and facilitate entrance and exit of the occupants of the craft leaving the panels and slide fastener undisturbed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,528 Marcovsky Mar. 22, 1921 2,764,766 Boyle et al. Oct. 2, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS P1l,479 Germany Sept. 22, 1955 M14,407 Germany Feb. 16, 1956 M20588 Germany Apr. 26, 1956 806,099 Germany July 8, 1949 1,146,679 France May 27, 1957 

